


Like Boys Do

by JackEPeace



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: AUs, F/F, thinly veiled high school AUs, tumblr prompts with a mind of their own
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-08
Updated: 2015-07-08
Packaged: 2018-04-08 06:49:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,126
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4294809
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JackEPeace/pseuds/JackEPeace
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Girls like girls like boys do. Nothing new. (Skimmons high school AU-ish based on "Girls Like Girls")</p>
            </blockquote>





	Like Boys Do

**Author's Note:**

> So this prompt was given to me on tumblr (several times because great minds think alike!) to do a Skimmons AU based on the song/video "Girls Like Girls" and I think the video and the song are both fantastic so I hope you all enjoy my Skimmons interpretation!

It's early but Jemma can already feel the heat in the day, making everything feel sticky and heavy and drying up the mist that hangs low to the ground. She twists her hair back into a ponytail, desperate to get it off the back of her neck as she heads around the side of the house to where her bike leans. The rest of the neighborhood is silent around her; the younger kids, always so eager for any time spent outside, are still enjoying the treat of being able to sleep in during the summer months.

Jemma pedals down the sidewalk, passing the familiar houses with their well kept lawns and their perfectly painted picket fences, traversing the familiar route to Skye's. They've been biking here, there and everywhere since they were twelve-years-old and first laid eyes on one another in the seventh grade. The memory is still enough to make Jemma smile and roll her eyes simultaneously, especially when it comes up and Skye puffs out her chest, all proud and pleased with herself for getting expelled for hitting Seth Dormer in the mouth for calling Jemma a loser and a nerd. Back then, it seemed like Skye's knuckles were always split and bruised from fighting something or someone. That's changed now but there are still plenty of things about them that have stayed the same. Five years is plenty of time to realize how much you need someone in your life.

By the time Jemma gets to Skye's house, the heat has taken its toll and her shirt is sticking to the small of her back, her hair all messy and falling down in tangles. Jemma tosses her back down into the yard beside Skye's, turning toward the door just as it swings open and Skye steps outside. The sight of her is enough to make Jemma smile and for something to come loose in her chest, making her feel light and buoyant. She has no idea when Skye started to have that effect on her.

"Hey." Skye hops down the porch steps two at a time, coming out to join Jemma in the yard. "Took you long enough."

Jemma rolls her eyes, nudging Skye aside when the other girl attempts to give her a playful shove. "It's still early, in case you haven't noticed." She retorts. "I thought you might still be asleep."

Skye shakes her head, sitting down in the grass. "Nah, just waiting for you." Jemma sits down beside her, thinking that it's nice to be waited on by someone.

"I thought we could start getting everything together and head in that direction before it gets too hot." Jemma says, even though it feels pretty useless to waste her breath with such an aspiration. It's already middle of the summer hot. "I brought some stuff." She points toward the backpack on her shoulders.

Skye looks at her and Jemma can tell immediately that she's trying to figure out how to say something that she's pretty sure that Jemma isn't going to like. It makes the light feeling in her chest grow a little heavier. "What?"

"Well…" Skye digs her bare toes into the patchy grass, making circles in the dirt. "I thought…I mean…I mentioned to Ward that we were going…"

Jemma sighs, already certain of where this conversation is going. It would be a lie to say that she likes Ward, though she often finds herself assuring Skye of this fact with a smile and a nod that she's pretty sure that Skye can see straight through anyway. But she tries, really she does. Mostly because he's around so often now.

"Oh." Jemma says simply, trying to keep her voice unreadable and failing miserably.

Skye forces a smile onto her face, one that's both apologetic and hopeful at the same time. "It'll still be fun." She assures Jemma. "We'll still bring all the stuff for the picnic and Ward has his truck so that'll be good."

Jemma wrinkles her nose. "We have our bikes." She points out uselessly.

"I know." Skye says and she leans into Jemma, wrapping her arms around her and smooshing her against her side. Jemma's cheek is pressed against Skye's and she can't help but smile. "But this way we don't have to die in the heat."

Jemma doesn't say anything, just rests there against Skye, both of them teetering slightly like they're moments away from tumbling backward into the grass. When Skye finally releases her Jemma has to put out a hand to steady herself.

"I'm sorry." Skye says, her eyes searching Jemma's. "I know you wanted it to be just us and I did too but…you know how Ward gets." She shrugs a shoulder dismissively. "It'll still be fun. We'll still be together."

"Yes, that's true." Jemma relents, though being together with Skye is hardly the same as being together with Skye and Ward.

Yeah, she's a little jealous. Ward has called her out on it before, seeming to find validation in the way it makes her cheeks turn scarlet and the tips of her ears burn. But Skye never seems to notice.

Skye smiles at her, a genuine and bright gesture. "You're my best friend." She says, as though Jemma needs reminding of this fact. "I like you more than I like him." She teases, winking at Jemma and bumping her shoulder.

Jemma makes a face at her, bumping her back. This isn't the first time that Skye has said something like this to her and it just makes Jemma want to tell Skye to dump Ward and just be with her instead. But the words always dry up in her mouth before she can say them.

She has no idea when those words started to be true.

*~*~*~*~*~*

They're in the kitchen putting the finishing touches on packing up for the picnic when Ward comes in, letting in a wave of heat as he opens the door. He looks at Jemma and nods cordially but there always seems to be this look in his eyes, something just below the surface that always makes her feel like she isn't wanted. Ward's attention quickly shifts toward Skye and he throws his arms around her, pulling her in for a big bear hug that she just makes her protest and try to wiggle out of his grasp. He moves in to kiss her but Skye turns her head away, her eyes flicking toward Jemma briefly before returning to Ward. "I'm busy." She tells him frankly, pointing toward the mess on the kitchen counter.

Ward shrugs, grabbing a piece of turkey and sauntering down the hallway toward Skye's room. Skye looks over at Jemma and rolls her eyes, a smirk on her face. Jemma smiles in return, helping Skye finish cleaning everything up and packing it up. The lightness is back in her chest and she feels a surge of anticipation, the same way she always seems to feel whenever she's doing anything with Skye.

Briefly, Jemma wonders if Skye feels it too, if she's aware of the pull between them that always seems to have Jemma a little off balance and breathless. There are moments where Skye's eyes meet hers and she thinks that she's not the only one who feels it.

*~*~*~*~*~*

The ride toward the park is conducted in near perfect silence, broken up only by the rattling of the truck bed and the occasional complaint about the heat. Ward's truck is without air conditioning, making Jemma pretty certain that they would have been better off just biking in the park in the first place. Skye is sandwiched in the middle of them, her thigh pressed against Jemma's and every time they hit a bump or pothole, they're jostled against one another. It's the sort of thing that might be fun if Ward wasn't around.

The park might have deserved that title about fifteen years ago, but it's definitely not the sort of place that most people go looking for recreation anymore. Nearly two decades ago, the city commissioned a new and improved park closer to the center of town, leaving the other one to fall into disuse and succumb to the whims of nature. The playground equipment is rusted and overgrown, the fencing falling down onto the dry, hard packed earth. These things have made it an excellent place for teenagers to sneak away to get out of the watchful eyes of the oppressive adults in their lives. But in the noon heat, the place is completely deserted.

Skye hops out of the cab, grabbing the tattered old blanket out of the truck bed and carrying it off down the sloping side of the hill. Jemma follows after her, toting the makeshift picnic basket that they managed to dig out of the basement of Skye's foster home. The ground is hard beneath her feet, hardly the sort of place that encourages leisurely picnicking but the view isn't too shabby. They're far enough away from the other neighborhoods that they can only just barely make out the silhouettes of the back of a few houses. The yellow-green grass fields seem to stretch out forever around them.

Once they settle down on the blanket and start divvying out the food, it becomes almost easy to forget that Ward is there at all. It's easy to fall into normal conversation with Skye, to get wrapped up in stories and jokes that only they were a part of and Skye's smile seems to grow wider by the second.

Ward finally gives them a look of disgust, grabbing his half-eaten sandwich and getting to his feet, grumbling to himself as he shuffles off down the hill, digging around for rocks with his free hand and tossing them off into the distance.

"This is fun, right?" Skye questions after Ward has been gone for a few minutes. They're both watching him as he throws the rocks, trying to connect with the rusted playground or half-rotted pavilions. "I'm glad we decided to do this."

Jemma nods, smiling at Skye. "Yeah, me too." She assures her friend. "Anything we do together is always nice."

For a moment, Jemma thinks she might have gone too far or overstepped but the tension quickly dissolves when Skye smiles back, nodding. "Yeah, it is."

Jemma thinks that now might be one of those perfect moments to tell Skye how she really feels, to force herself to say the words _I really like you_ and to watch Skye brighten at the idea of it. But there's still that minute fear that maybe Skye wouldn't smile back at her, that her eyes would darken and she'd pull away, that she would remind Jemma that she's with Ward for a reason and that eventually the tone of their conversations would become stilted and full of obligation. She's never been this uncertain of anything in her life, never been so plagued with doubt and confusion. It's odd having gone through the first seventeen years of her life knowing and understanding everything, realizing why things worked the way that they did and then suddenly have everything come crashing down around her because of the way her best friend smiles at her.

So, as always, Jemma chickens out before she can even start to fumble out something resembling a confession and she turns away from Skye, reaching for the bowl of watermelon triangles instead. Skye's hand brushes against hers as she grabs a piece as well and it's moments like that one where Jemma wonders if Skye knows exactly what she's been thinking for the past year.

They sit in comfortable silence, watching Ward in the midst of his ridiculous rock game or watching the wisps of clouds as they drift lazily overhead, not even big enough to invent shapes out of.

"Hey," Skye says, tossing aside the watermelon rind, "you seriously have juice all over you. I swear I can't take you anywhere."

"Where?" Jemma rubs at her chin and cheeks with the back of her hand, glaring at Skye. "I do not."

Skye laughs. "Yes, you do." She assures Jemma. "Right here." She brushes her finger against the skin against the corner of her mouth.

Jemma opens her mouth to respond –or do something, anything- but Ward beats her to the punch. "Skye!" He calls and both their heads turn in his direction. "Come here!"

Skye gives him a dubious look. "Why?"

"I want to show you something." Ward says with a shrug, tossing one of the rocks into the air and catching it again. "Come look at this."

But Skye just shakes her head. "I can't." She calls back. "I'm talking to Jemma."

"So?" Ward snaps. "You always talk to Jemma."

This is, of course, an irrefutable statement.

Skye groans, rolling her eyes for Jemma's benefit, before pushing herself to her feet and heading over to where Ward is standing. He slips his arm around her waist, pulling her closer and gesturing toward something out across the way. Jemma doesn't even try to figure out what it is that he's attempting to show Skye; she just leans back, folding her hands behind her head and lacing her fingers together in an attempt to create a little pillow. Stupid Ward.

But she's still really glad that she came.

*~*~*~*~*~*

The following day, Skye calls Jemma to invite her swimming. "Ward has a pool in his backyard. It's so hot, it'll be nice."

Jemma makes a noncommittal noise, worrying her thumbnail between her teeth. "I dunno…"

Of course, it pains her to say that because spending time with Skye is her favorite thing in the world.

Skye immediately starts to protest. "What! Jemma! You have to come!"

Jemma sighs, sitting down on the edge of her bed. "I…" Another sigh. "I just don't think that Ward likes me very much."

"What? Of course he does." Skye replies dismissively. "He invited us."

Jemma thinks that the "us" is pretty considerate of her to say.

"Come on." Skye wheedles and Jemma can picture the smile on her face. The way that she would step closer, bumping her hip to Jemma's and taking her hands. "It'll be fun. Some people might come over later and you can stay the night."

Briefly, Jemma thinks about asking if Skye is inviting her to spend the night at Ward's but she figures that it really doesn't matter if Skye is there and there will be other people around.

"Fine." Jemma relents with an exhale, glad that Skye can't see the nervous expression on her face. "I'll get ready."

"Yes!" Skye practically shouts into the phone and Jemma grins, pulling it away from her ear. "See you soon!"

Jemma is still smiling when she tosses the phone aside, getting to her feet and searching for her bag and swimsuit. She packs for a day…or two…just in case.

*~*~*~*~*~*

Twenty minutes later, Ward's beat-up old truck pulls up in the driveway and Jemma calls out a goodbye over her shoulder, slamming the door shut behind her before her mother can call any instructions or questions of her own. Skye grins at her, sliding over to make room for Jemma to hop into the cab. She gives Jemma a half-hug. "Aren't you glad that you stopped trying to argue with me and just came?" She gives Jemma a pointed look.

Jemma smirks and nods. "Yes, it is rather hot."

Skye looks over her shoulder at Ward and it's obvious from the narrow-eyed, expectant expression on her face that they've been having a conversation that Jemma has not been privy too. Ward grimaces, pulling away from the curb. "Yeah, thanks for coming Jemma."

Diplomatically, Jemma smiles at him, thanking him for the invitation.

At least Skye looks pleased by the exchange, which gives Jemma a little bit of hope. Maybe it won't be an issue between the three of them forever; maybe she can learn to love Ward and maybe he'll start treating her best friend a little better so that she can actually like having him around. Or maybe they'll break up in a few months and it won't be an issue anymore.

Obviously that is _not_ the sort of thing that Jemma should be hoping for. But she can't help it.

When they get to Ward's, they make a beeline for the backyard and Skye quickly tugs off her tank top and wiggles out of her shorts, tossing the articles of clothing aside. Jemma tries to keep her eyes from straying in that direction but she feels like they have a mind of their own. Skye catches her looking and the smile on her face surprises Jemma; she's not used to seeing Skye look so timid and bashful. "Come on." Skye tilts her head toward the pool and then takes off, jumping into the water.

Ward follows after her, seeming to try and do his best to splash Skye as much as possible. Jemma grins, shaking her head and sitting down on the edge of the pool, letting her legs dangle in the water. She's not opposed to swimming but she'd rather ease her way into it.

Skye kicks over to her, resting her elbows on the edge of the pool. "Did you come all this way just to stare at the water?" She questions, quirking an eyebrow. "How are you not a giant pool of sweat right now?"

Jemma lifts her toes out of the water, splashing Skye playfully. "It is rather tempting." She agrees. Skye grabs her foot and makes like she's going to pull her in and Jemma squeals, pulling her ankle out of Skye's grasp. "Don't rush me." She laughs.

"Fine." Skye pouts at her, swimming backward toward the other side of the pool. "We'll just have fun without you."

Ward seems to think this is a perfect invitation to come up behind Skye and dunk her playfully under the water. Or, at least, what he seems to think is playful but when Skye pops up, her face is a picture perfect look of annoyance. She sputters, spinning around to face Ward, glaring at him.

"What?" Ward asks innocently. Skye doesn't answer, swimming back toward the side of the pool where Jemma is sitting. "Come on Skye, I was just playing around."

Skye pulls herself out onto the edge of the pool, wringing out her hair. Ward looks unimpressed. "You used to like it when I played around." He adds.

Jemma stares down at her feet in the water rather than think about what Ward is trying to imply. Skye seems equally as uninterested, standing up and walking over to one of the lounge chairs, sprawling out on the hot plastic instead. Jemma looks over her shoulder at Skye and then back at Ward, who seems almost to be daring her to react. She ignores him, standing up and going to sit in the lounge chair beside Skye's. This, at least, seems to make her smile a little.

They do more laying out in the sun than actual swimming, which Jemma thinks is kind of ironic seeing as they came over specifically to escape the summer sun and the impressive heat of the day. But eventually they all make it back into the pool again and Ward manages to avoid pushing any of them underwater, which seems to make the whole experience more enjoyable.

The sun is starting to sink down in the horizon by the time they manage to pull themselves out of the backyard and into the house in hopes of finding some food. Ward's other roommates are out for the evening and it seems like the people that he thought would be coming over for beers and pizza aren't going to be making an appearance after all. Jemma glances over at Skye when Ward makes this announcement, trying to figure out if now would be a good time to make her exit. After all, hanging out in a big group of people is one thing but now she's just going to be the third wheel and she's not sure she's interested in being on the receiving end of Ward's glares and ploys. But Skye doesn't seem to think any of it, continuing to put her sandwich together like it's no big deal.

They settle in on the couch to watch a movie, some ridiculous sci-fi thriller that Ward is apparently hell-bent on seeing. Jemma manages to keep her comments about how ridiculous and inaccurate the movie is to herself, focusing instead on picking popcorn out of the bowl and on Skye's shoulder against hers.

Halfway through the movie, Jemma feels the gentle brush of fingers against the top of her hand and Skye's hand settles over her own. She doesn't look over at Skye, can't bring herself to pry her eyes off the screen ahead, but her mouth is suddenly dry and she's pretty sure that the aliens could literarily pop out of the screen and into the living room and she wouldn't notice.

By the end of the movie, Jemma has gotten used to the sensation of Skye's hand against hers. So much so that it seems like a complete surprise when the heat suddenly disappears and Skye gets to her feet. She carries the bowl of popcorn into the kitchen, making the appropriate sounds at the appropriate times as Ward talks about the movie with more enthusiasm than Jemma thinks that it merits. Ward follows Skye into the kitchen and the brief period of silence that follows has Jemma suddenly uneasy, uncertain of whether she should keep sitting there looking like an eavesdropper or try and make herself scarce. That third-wheel feeling is back.

Ward finally comes out of the kitchen, ignoring her as he disappears down the hallway, heading toward the back of the house and seconds later, Jemma hears the porch door slide open and the sound of the crickets outside grows momentarily louder before the door shuts again. Jemma hesitates for only a moment before getting to her feet and hurrying back toward the backyard.

Skye is sitting on the edge of the pool, her feet dangling in the water. She doesn't look up until Jemma settles down beside her and the timid smile that Jemma first saw earlier is back. "Hey." She says, like they haven't spent all day together. "Are you having fun?"

Jemma nods and shrugs at the same time. "The movie was quite ridiculous, honestly. So many of those things simply just aren't possible."

Skye shakes her head. "It's just a movie, Jem."

"No reason for it to be so inaccurate." Jemma replies primly.

Skye nods and her smile begins to falter slightly and an unsteady feeling settles over Jemma. The certainty that something is about to happen and she can't decide if it's going to be good or bad. She can't help but think about to the conversation between Skye and Ward and even though she couldn't hear a word they said, that hardly seems to matter. She feels like she's gotten the gist.

"I'm really glad that you're here." Skye tells her and that dry feeling in Jemma's mouth doesn't go away. "I know you don't like Ward and-"

"I don't dislike Ward." Jemma blurts out quickly, even though it's obviously a lie. She should have tried a little harder, made it less apparent that she couldn't stand the guy and hated watching him with Skye. "We're still feeling each other out…but I'm sure we'll start to get along soon."

Skye reaches out and rests her hand on Jemma's knee and that simple gesture doesn't make her feel much better. The sinking feeling only grows. "Jemma, you're my best friend." Skye says and it suddenly seems to final, so ominous. "I don't know what I would do without you. Sometimes I think there's more than that between us. I…"

It takes Jemma until the moment that Skye starts trailing off to realize that Skye is leaning closer, the distance between them minimal and easy to close. Her mouth is dry for a totally different reason.

The sliding door bangs open and the sound of Ward yelling Skye's name stops them before they can completely close the distance between them. Jemma gets to her feet but Ward shoves her back down again and she hits the ground roughly, jarring her elbow as she falls back, knocking her head against the concrete.

Her ears start to ring and Jemma thinks that she can just barely hear the sound of Skye calling her name. And she watches as Ward grabs Skye by the forearm, giving her a little shake and shouting something that sounds completely unintelligible to her at the moment.

Not that it really seems to matter. Nothing hardly seems to matter, except for the urge that takes over her like a fire spreading through her, forcing her to her feet and straight at Ward. She pulls back her fist, hitting him solidly in the stomach in what she assumes has to be a lucky punch because she figures that there's no way that Ward would actually let her get a shot in if he saw her coming.

It's enough to drive the breath out of him and Ward takes a step back in surprise, his eyes narrowing in a fury. Jemma is barely aware of her own hand clinching back into a fist and the sight of Ward doing the same.

And then Skye is between them, her body angled toward Ward and it doesn't take long for Jemma to realize that Skye isn't trying to restrain her but protect her from Ward. Her hand stings and it's that sensation that starts to bring her focus back.

"Don't touch her!" Skye is yelling, getting into Ward's face and Jemma worries that he might hit her next instead. "What the hell is wrong with you!"

"You bitch, I can't believe you." Ward snarls, pushing Skye backward. "I knew it, somehow I knew it but I still can't believe you would stoop so low. Get out. Both of you, get the hell out!"

It seems like the best course of action, especially because it looks like Ward might start swinging at any moment.

Jemma quickens her pace, trying to push the anger and adrenaline that she feels out of her body but it doesn't seem to be helping. Her hands are still clinched into fists, even though her knuckles are throbbing and her head is pounding and the anger and confusion that she's feeling isn't doing much to help the situation.

She's aware of Skye there beside her, keeping pace with her, but Jemma can't bring herself to look over at her, not yet.

"Jemma," Skye says softly, finally reaching out to rest her hand on Jemma's shoulder, "stop. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." Jemma says shortly and her voice sounds tired even to her own ears.

Skye pulls her to a stop, reaching up a resting her hand gently across the side of Jemma's face. She can tell by the sting that there's going to be a bump there in the morning.

"That asshole." Skye hisses, gently running her thumb along the ridge of the contusion. "I'm going to kill him."

"Don't." Jemma says softly, reaching up to lightly brush her hand over Skye's. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to…I shouldn't have hit him…I didn't mean to ruin-"

"Jemma, stop." Skye interrupts, shaking her head. "You didn't ruin anything. I don't care about Ward; he doesn't mean anything to me." She rests her other hand against the opposite side of Jemma's face. "You're _all_ I care about."

These are the words that Jemma has always wanted to hear, that she's needed to hear even more since realizing that she didn't just want Skye to be her best friend. But it suddenly seems hard to hear them.

"Why…those things you were saying before…" Jemma swallows, looking at Skye in the orange glow of the streetlights. "Why did you say that?"

"There's so much more I wanted to say." Skye assures her, her hands still hot against her skin. "So much."

Jemma closes her eyes, trying to ignore the pounding in her head. There's a pretty hearty pounding in her chest too that's even harder to ignore. "Why didn't you say anything before?" She whispers.

"I don't know." Skye admits softly and Jemma opens her eyes again. "I was just scared. I thought Ward…I thought it would be easier that way…that we could just be friends and it would all somehow be okay but…I can't Jemma, not anymore. I can't just be your friend."

And then they're kissing and it's perfect, more than perfect. It's words and sensations and songs and feelings that Jemma doesn't even have a way to explain to anyone. Not that it matters; the only person who needs to understand it is Skye. Skye is holding her close, unwilling to let any space come between them and Jemma just folds against her, kissing her lips, her cheeks, her forehead, anything she can to assure herself that it's real, that this is really happening.

And it is. Finally.

*~*~*~*~*~*

It's hot by the time Jemma pulls herself out of bed, ignoring the time on the alarm clock beside her bed that tells her that she should definitely still be asleep and doesn't she know that it's summer? But she doesn't think she can stay in bed a moment longer, so what's the use in trying.

As she gets dressed, she can't help but catch a glimpse of her face in the mirror above her dresser, grimacing at the sight. It's been two days but the redness and bruising doesn't seem to be getting much better. Jemma is pretty sure that her parents don't believe that she just fell off her bike but she's pretty sure they'd have an even harder time believing that she was fighting.

Jemma slips outside, grabbing her bike and quickly pedaling down the sidewalks toward Skye's house. The closer she gets, the larger the smile on her face grows. The lightness that she's always felt in her chest around Skye now feels like it's going to swell up so big that she's going to burst but that thought only makes her pedal faster.

Despite the early hour, the door swings open before Jemma even has to knock, like Skye has been waiting for her, like she's known that Jemma was coming. Skye puts her arms around her, pulling her in for a kiss that's sloppy and uncoordinated because of the ridiculous grins on their faces.

Jemma thinks it would be completely sappy if it were happening to someone else. But since it's happening to her, she just thinks it's perfect.


End file.
